2. Contact Info

3. Dealer Selection

If you read our sport luxury sedan comparison in the May 2012 issue of Motor Trend, then you already have a good idea what the Audi A4 is all about. If you didn’t, let me sum up: The editors were impressed with the huge amount of grip from Audi‘s Quattro all-wheel-drive system and amazed by the 2.0-liter turbocharged engine’s ability to blast the heaviest car among the seven cars into the second-fastest spot. We loved everything about it save for the materials used on the interior. Wouldn’t you know it, one of the biggest changes in the mid-cycle refresh for the 2013 B8 chassis are all the bits that swaddle those lucky enough to be inside Ingolstadt’s entry-level sedan.

While the 2012 A4 may have finished behind the F30 BMW 328i, Mercedes C250, and Volvo S60 in that comparison, the 2012 S4, even with its pre-refreshed interior, took a decisive victory over the F30 335 in Carlos Lago’s recent Head to Head video on Motor Trend’s YouTube channel. Again, the drivetrain was the big winner, in this case, the S4’s rear-biased all-wheel drive and optional torque-vectoring Sport Differential.

I had the chance to drive the 2013 versions of both outside Denver, Colorado at altitudes not conducive to breathing men or machines. The Audis supplement their aspiration by means of a turbocharger on the A4 and a supercharger on the S4. I had to make do with the K9 ram-air charging technique with my head out the window during acceleration testing.

The A4/S4 receive the same styling changes for 2013 as their A5/S5 platform-mates. The front and rear fascias are now more aggressive, with wider air intakes, sharper corners, and even stylized daytime running lights. The hood receives two longitudinal creases to draw your eyes to the redesigned grille. The new cars appear slightly wider (they’re not) and when outfitted with the optional 19-inch wheels, look the part of DTM street racers.

Since the interior was the real point of contention on the last model, that might be what really matters most on the new car. Most the materials have been upgraded and look and feel more substantial. The khaki-colored seat coverings we disliked in previous years are gone. Buyers now have the choice of black, Titanium Grey, Chestnut Brown, or Velvet Beige. Dark browns like Chestnut seem to be the fashion at the moment, so you can expect to see a few of these on dealer lots. My favorite is still basic black, but no matter what color you choose, I recommend the sport seats available in the $750 Sport Package. The standard seats are good, but the sport seats are extra-supportive for both enthusiastic driving or long hauls. New interior trim materials have also been added, with layered oak being the standout. Think bowling lane wood in miniature, but in the classiest way possible.

Audi’s already easy-to-use MMI infotainment system has been updated and simplified. A new optional three-spoke steering wheel is more comfortable than before, and the instrument panel has been freshened. I couldn’t see the difference in the instrument panel until I looked at a picture of the previous model, but yes, it has changed. When the B8 was initially launched, it was the benchmark for interiors in its class. That label faded once the competition refreshed their cars. The 2013 A4 and S4 are certainly an improvement. I left the event extremely impressed, but the trophy presentation will have to wait until we can get all the players side by side.

Mechanically, both the A4 and S4 have changed mostly in the name of efficiency. Electric power steering adds an MPG to the car’s fuel economy. which doesn’t sound like much until you factor that into a car’s life and think on the grander scale of all the cars Audi will produce. The S4 gets a new crown gear center differential responsible for distributing all 333 horses between the front and rear wheels. The new differential uses two crown gears, one connected to the front prop-shaft and the other to the rear, connected by four pinions. A difference in rotational speed between one of the crown gears and the housing, which drives the entire unit, causes an axial load, tightening up friction plates sending power to the end of the car with more traction. The new differential is also 4 pounds lighter than the previous planetary gear unit. Again, it doesn’t sound like much until you realize the crown gear differential only weighs 11 pounds.

Audi will allow you to fill your new car with all the electronics your heart desires. Audi’s new MMI system has Google Earth Maps, Google Points of Interest, Dual SD Card slots, and Bluetooth streaming, and turns the car into a mobile wifi hotspot. The S4 is available with adaptive cruise control and an upgraded Park Assist rear camera and radar sensor system that removes any excuse you have for backing into anything, ever.

I started out my test drives in a well-equipped A4 with an eight-speed torque convertor automatic and Quattro all-wheel drive. The only engine option in the A4 is the 2.0-liter turbocharged I-4 with 211 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque. Other transmission choices consist of an eight-speed equivalent CVT found only on front-wheel-drive models or a slick six-speed manual. Although the A4 may sound down on power compared to some of its more powerful rivals, as mentioned earlier, in our last comparison test of seven cars, only the BMW was faster. We weren’t able to test any of the cars, but at the same weight and power, we have no reason to think perofrmance will change by any considerable margin.

The new electric steering feels lighter than the previous hydraulic assist. Inputs are still direct and immediate and on-center feel is good, but I would prefer a bit more effort.. The A4 is quiet and comfortable on the highway. It eats up miles, as you would expect for a car in this class. It settles down at speed and never floats around. Even in crosswinds, it tracks straight and requires very little effort to keep on course. While some cars require constant steering corrections, high-speed sweepers in the Audi require an initial turn-in and then holding that steering angle.

The S4 is just as precise but with much more attitude. When equipped with the Sport Differential, the all-wheel-drive sedan rotates almost like one of its rear-wheel drive counterparts. Steering in the S4 is heavier than the A4’s and feels like that of a proper sports sedan. Buyers have the choice of either a six-speed manual or a seven-speed dual-clutch S-tronic transmission. The dual-clutch is the natural choice for those looking for maximum performance and the fastest lap times, but the three-pedal row-your-own is so well executed in the S4 that you might not care if you’re going a little bit slower. Clutch effort is just right with a smooth and thick resistance in the pedal. There is plenty of feel in the clutch as the supercharged 3.0-liter V-6 twists the drive train with 325 lb-ft of torque. Push and pull the shift lever and it snicks from gear to gear with blunt stops at the front and back of the gate. The 60-degree V-6 will happily run to its 6800 RPM redline, but it makes its maximum of 333 horsepower at 5500 RPM and then levels off. Acceleration is smooth and plentiful; we clocked our last 2012 S4 tester at 4.4 seconds from 0-60 mph and think the 2013 will be equally as fast. Even at 7000 feet above sea level, the S4 felt fast.

I left impressed with both cars. The A4 is even better than before with its previous shortcomings addressed by Audi. The interior is more refined, efficiency has increased, and it even looks better. The S4 has a better center differential to make an already great drivetrain even better. Both cars benefit from the addition of Audi’s latest electronics. The 2013 A4 will hit dealerships with a base price of $33,395 for a CVT equipped, front-wheel-drive premium model while the top-of-the-line eight-speed tiptronic Quattro-equipped car bases at $45,245. The Audi S4 starts at $48,495 and can be pushed to more than $60,000 if you get carried away while ticking option boxes. If you can swing it, I suggest you go with a stripped-down S4 rather than a loaded A4, but that’s me. The 3.0T is an absolutely addictive engine and the optional sport differential makes the S4 one of the best sports sedans in the world.

EPA MPG

Safety (IIHS)

Horsepower

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